Q4U5, 




Classlp74 



DESCRIPTION 



OF 



DEERFIELD, 



FRANKLIN COUNTY, 



INTENDED AS AN EXHIBITION OF THE PIAN OF A C©NTEMPLATED 



GAZETTEER 



MASSACHUSETTS PROPER. 



B? RODOLPHUS DICKINSON, Esft. 



DEERFIEI.D, MASS. 

PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR. 

6. J. iTEwcoMB, PBiar, 

1817, 



GUEENFIELD, Jcne 10, 1817 



't.>.„„ttbd ». vks. Of the lo«,. of Decftelrt, accompanied with a v„«e«. 
that y,„wi« be „ good a. to ,«p»«, as ««, a. convenient a. account of your ,ow„ 
r, liUr plan, noticio, ai» any oCer .nl.jeC of in.eces, not con a„.d .n Una 
L;L,a»d«»a„..*esa»eU,.e.M,inUn..io„..op«b,i> a„,™.eacco nt 

13- place in U,e ancient part of the sU,.., upon a plan altogChc- d*rent f„n. 

l:::ly notice of p,acea.n..Ca„f.ce.»^^^ 

.obiect a. a ^.de to facilitate the,»,u,n^^^^^^^ ^^^^ -^ ^^^_., 

,,„„,, requesting '»'"»'"»""""" '° """",,„ ,^„ ,,„.„ son.e other states 
The field not bein, ve„ extensive. '''^^'"'j^TZl^^ „,„„,, i„„ ., 
vvo»ldt«,ni.b,itv.illdonbtlc.sbepr,ct,caMe to "■-''' ^^^ 

„c„v„ volume of al»„t800 pages, .'-;"^'™^;° ;*:";, J.„..,„l 
„„„,„d.itb.vievvtosavenn„ece.s.,.*o,2-;^^^^_,,.,. ,,„„,, 

hepropo«iona.e to the .dative --J^^^^'^X^t.-ucture, though detail. 
,-„unothcpanicu,a.yco„ve,.sa„t.,*^.^^t^^^^^^^ 

»*»'"™°''''"rC ttylLi-tedinthe pa.ticuiac accounts, an. 
oral cbaptc,. in the wk proposed, tn„,b^^^^_^ ^.^^^ ,^,„. „ 

U,e ret,n.n on the otl.c- sv.bject. of '"'»">' '';f;^^ __, ^^^,. „„., through the 
».„uld be desirable to receive your no uce ■ ^^^^ ^,_____,^ ^^^ 

r„st.Ofr,ce,shouldnootheropportuo,t,oirer..nd.f^ y ^^^^__^ ^^,.^._ 

Ui„conven,ent.oob,ige,neinthispar.,cu^a. ^^^.^"-^^^^^^^^^^^ 

eringthisaceonnt to -« P— -".ril directed, 1 .nust Cain, pcrn.ission to 
• comply Avith my request. Unless otue publication. 

...Ut.en.meoreaeH.entlemanto.^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

I flutter myself that the great importance ot ^ ^^^.^^^^^.^^^ ^^^.^^^ ^^^ ^„^ y,^, 

be effected ^vithoutthe aid I sohct, and t e ^ '^'* ' ^^^„, ,tt,,hments, 

friends must derive from a full descripfon of the pi ce of , our p 

.m be sufficient inducements to zeal in the undertakmg- 
I am, Su-, very respectfully, yo'^'^ 

Obedient Servant, 

RODOLPHUS DICKmSON- 






A 

DESCRIPTION 

OF 

DEEHFIELD. 



EXTENT AND BOUNDARIES. 

DEERFIELD, a post town, and the moat ancient in Franklin 
cnu-.V is 8 by 5 miles in extent, and is bounded north by Green- 
fiel''t ''ast by Connecticut river, which separates it from Montague 
ar'' Sunderland, south by AVhately, and west by Conway and 
Shelburne. It originally included the towns ot Slielburne, Conway, 
Gretiifield, and the principal part of Gill, and was 12 miles m 
lengih, and lOi in breadth. 

SURFACE. 

The surface of this town is much diversified. The interval valley, 
nervadin'' the centre of it from north to south, for a distance of 
about 4 miles, is a level alluvial tract, intersected by Deerfield 
river a beautiful stream, passing diagonally to the north cast, and 
receiving Green river from the north, about two miles above its 
conflucn'ce with the Connecticut. r , • , . 

South of the meadows, is an extensive section ot plain land, 
skii-ted southerly by a forest of pines, and by a fine tract of interval 
-round on the western margin, watered by an inconsiderable stream. 
^ The western division, excepting a covered pine plain extending 
north of Deerfield river, consists of elevated and wide spreading 
hif'hlands, with a breadth of nearly 2 miles within the limits of 

\ narrow tract of interval land lies upon the western bank of 
Connecticut rivw. Between this and the valley of Deerfield river, 
aran«-p intervenes, varying from a single ridge to about 3 miles 
in width, which, in traversing tlie town from north to south, grad- 
ually rises, till you arrive a little below the village, and terminates 
after a discending course of nearly an equal distance. The central 
iiart of this ridge is 750 feet above the valley, forming the highest 
Jjoint of land in the township, and presenting an interesting piece 
of mountain scenery. , • i r 

A few small ponds pervade the central valley: and aside trom 
the streams which have been noticed, the town is well watered, and 
'he water, very jrcncrolly. of a rupeiior quality. 



4 DESCRIPTION 

The woodlands upon the hills are extensive; but the level parts 
of the town present an almost universally cultivated surface, the 
interval section, in particular, displaying little more than the shade 
trees attached to the several fields. 

INTERIOR STRUCTURE. 

The geolojjy of Deerfield has not been minutely observed. The 
plain and valley extending through the centre of the town, and 
the meadow along the western bank of Connecticut river, are of a 
secondary alluvial formation. The soil in the valley is in some 
places twenty feet in depth, resting on a bed of gravel, and from 
many appearances, this probably reposes upon red conglomerate 
and sandstone. The plain, encircling it, is in some places highly 
argillaceous, and in others a coarse silicious sand. 

The mountain in the easterly part of this town consists of two 
ridges running in a parallel direction. Both of these present on 
the western side, high, mural, naked fronts, with numerous amor- 
phous masses lying at their base, and extending upward a consid- 
erable distance: but on the eastern side these ridges are of easy 
ascent. The western range, which commences abruptly near the 
south line of the town, and extends about six miles northward, is 
wholly composed of red conglomerate, or plumb pudding stone. 
The strata dip to the east about 10". The other ridge is of the 
transition formation, consisting of grey wacke or trap, which rests 
on the secondary forn»ation. The veins of this rock are highly 
impregnated Avith iron. 

About a mile west of the village of Deerfield the primitive for- 
mation commences. The rock on the mountain in this part of the 
town is mostly gneiss. There are however some masses of granite, 
and a few of the rocks are considerably shistose. Garnets, pyrites, 
steatite, epidote, tourmaline, and sappare have been found in this 
range. The gneiss, like most other rocks of this kind in New- 
England, is stratified in a north and south direction, and the lamina 
dip to the east about 45". AVhere Deerfield river has cut through 
this mountain, it has laid open on the northern bank, a small bed 
of limestone. 

SOIL, AGRICULTURE, AND PRODUCTIONS. 

The soil of this town is in general of a good quality. On the 
hills, it is a loam much interspersed vvith gravel and stones; on a 
part of the plains clay predominates, the soil of the remainder 
h) light and sand} . and upon the lower interval grounds, a deep, 
rich, allttvial mould. The lands on Connecticut river, and 
the sloping grounds under the mountain south of the village, are 
superior for gra7.ing and grain. The plain in the south part of the 
town Jiasof la<e years been much improved by gypsum, and affords 
good crops: nnd on the western side of it is a rich and productive 
interval, with valuable uplands in the tear. Much of the land on 
the western hills is well suited to the culture of grain, and some of 
the pi)?'tures in that part of the town are excellent, and with a little 
attontion, might be" converted into fine mowing fields. The 



OP' DEERFIELD. 5 

meadows on the banks of Deerfield river, receiving in a remarkable 
degree its rich deposits, are admitted by those who have travelled 
extensively, as not surpassed in richness by any land in the union. 

The farmers of this town are uncommonly laborious, and <"rom 
the nature of their agricultural pursuits, find little opportunity for 
relaxation from the most unwearied industry, during any season 
of the year. The system of agriculture here pursued is excellent. 
In the cultivation of those crops that claim their principal atten- 
tion, they have adopted many improvements. The staple articles 
of produce are hay, Indian corn, and peas and oats, for the pur- 
pose of fattening cattle. These form the distinguishing feature in 
the husbandry of the interval lands; and the alternate cultivation 
of the two latter, presents the principal rotation of crops. The 
lower sections of the meadows exhibit th.e finest grass plats: and 
tlie warm and richly mellow soil of the higher parts is adapted, in 
an unexampled degree, to the production of the best and most 
abundant crops of Indian corn; and the successful cultivation of it 
may be regarded as the fort of the farmers of Deerfield. 

Asa limited display of the resources of this town, without ad- 
verting to the immense crop of hay, and peas and oats, and the 
various other productions for domestic use, it may be safely esti- 
mated, that the crop of Indian corn during the year ) 815, was not 
less than 50,000 bushels; and that the average produce of otiier 
years considerably exceeds 40,000, one half of w hich is probably 
raised by the inhabitants of the village: and by the latter, 500 of 
the finest cattle, mostly purchased of the farmers in the upland 
towns, arc annually fed, in the best manner, from the beginning of 
December to May, the weight of which may be computed at 
550,000, and the proceeds of their sale in market, at 8 40,000, 
with a profit of about one half the amount. 

The want of good pasturage has long been a serious inconven- 
ience to the inhabitants of the village, but this is gradually becomin"^ 
less, by the opening of the woodlands on the eastern hills. 

The orchards in Deerfield are small, having been much reduced 
by the ravages of the canker worm. The highlands are favourable 
to the culture of fruit trees, but the other parts of the town are 
extremely unsuited to the grov.th of any except the apple tree, and 
even tliis fruit is much inferiour to that upon the hills. 

CLIMATE AND DISEASES. 

Most of the facts relative to climate being equally applicable to 
every place within a small extent of territory, a notice of them 
under each town would be superfluous. The title is here inserted 
for the purpose of receiving communications relative to any pecul- 
iarities which may exist in the respective towns, but principally, 
lor collecting the result of meteorological observations. 

During the year commencing with April 1806. the greatest heat 
in the village of Deerfield was 96% and the most extreme cold 14' 
below zero. The quantity of snow in that year was 62 inciies, and 
in the winter of 1811-12, 76. In February 1807, the frost njeas- 
^ued three feet in level open land. 



DESCRIPTION 
b 

The number of deaths which have occurred in this place, accord- 

in- to the parish register, since the year 178., a period of nearly 

29 years, have been 5 10. This upon an average is a traction over 

17 a year. It appears that 59 of these have died of tlie consamp- 

tion, 66 of dvsentarv, and 48 of fevers. 1 he greatest number ot 

deaths vvhich^have occurred in any one year from consumption is 7, 

from dysentaiy 38, and from fevers ^22. 

MINERAL WATERS. 

Tn the southern part of the meadows, about two miles from the 
vilaee arc a number of small mineral springs, flowing at the foot 
o a^low bank in a marshy situation. The waters have not been 
rLularly analyzed; but from evident appearances, are supposed 
to be s rongly impregnated with magnesia, sulphur, and iron. They 
are n some repute for the cure of cutaneous disorders; and are 
considerably resorted to in the mild seasons of the year. 

CURIOSITIES. 

The tracs of Indian habitations, extending even to villages, on 
the declivUies of the high grounds bordering the va ley, and on the 
lentle eWations which"div"ersify it; their implements of war, mdus- 
fn domestic use, and of taste, and the remains of their dead, which 
^rVd'scove ed in various places upon opening the ground, and bv 
are (iisco>tieu i ngerfield river; and an outward 

Y »-l'^^----|of^H^ banks o^ ^^^^ ^.^^^,^^^^ ^^^.^ ^^^^^,^ 

;''th;tHo7o ts'd\s"Vc(iln whicli was cloven through by their 
f , P I:, nml two unlettered stones, lying horizontally upon 
tomahawks; and .^^^^ ""J"/ . ^j^^ destruction of Capt, Lathrop's 

the g'"""*l;"7'-^'"? *\7j:"!e,t the a^^^ of the cilrious. 

^^Ti;:^^;;^'Lr: "ahe"s:u\h'r,^ 

1 f;m 1*510 feet above the plain below, presenting majectic pre- 

t'tfi^E'^f^:"."/ aK'be just., classed a™„.,g the 
curiosities of nature. equidistant from the village of 

deservedly claim the attention of the natuialist. 

VILLAGE. 

^ . v-.ll«o r. „f necrfield is 90 miles west by north of Boston. The 
.?.VtfsiS a accurately ascertained by various astro- 
centre ui tis ^^Y^'^^^^"'.^ ,^S^„.»p 400 32.' longitude 72» 41'. 

""•"^,t; ir 't;; r;\iia';"fit/b;i„'g a pe^ 

^-r ;t ■'„■;:! "^^..h'i'in^-W on. a -r1dia/li„e, and dis- 



OF DRERFIELD. 7 

playing on each side handsome home lots. In the centre of this. 
rises another terrace, crossing the street, and affording sufficient 
space tor a village green. 

The village consists of 53 dwelling houses, of uhich 43 are of 
two stories, and all except two constructed of wood; a congrega- 
tional church, an extensive brick building occupied as an academy 
and boarding house, a large brick school house, three stores, a 
printing office, and book-bindery. 

MANUFACTURES AND TRADE. 

Domestic fabrics are wrought in dlmost every family in the 
town, and constitute in the aggregate an object of great importance: 
and with other articles of the ftrst necessity the inhabitants are 
mostly furnlghed from their owh manufactures. There are in 
Deerfield 4 saw mills, 1 grist mill, 1 oil mill, 3 fulling mills, 2 
carding machines, 1 trip-hammar, 1 saltpetre work, Itannery, and 
2 distilleries. At Muddy Brook, in the south part of the town, is 
an extensive boot and shoe factory. 

Deerfield is an agricultural place; and an extensive trade is 
almost forbidden by local circumstances. It contains however six 
retail stores, in which is invested a stock of g 20,000. 

RELIGION. 

There is in this town a society of congregationalists,and another 
of baptists. The former comprises the principal part of the inliab- 
itants. The latter consists of most of the families residing west of 
Deerfield river. A few families in the southern part of the town 
are united with the church in Sunderland. 

The salary of the congregational clergyman, is S 666,fir. The 
religious funds are large, and the interest accruing from them will 
in a short time be sufficient to support the ministry. 

MINISTRY. 

The Rev. John "Williams, born at Roxbury, December 10, 7604 
and educated at Harvard college, was the first minister of Deerfield! 
He was ordained in May 1686, and died June 12, 1729. aged 64! 

Mr. Williams was succeeded by the Rev. Jonathan Ashlev, a 
native of Westfield, who was educated at Yale college. He \vas 
ordained November 8, 1732, and died August 28, 1780, aged 68. 

The Rev. John Taylor, a native of Westfield, and successor of 
Mr. Ashley, received his education at Yale college, and was or- 
dained February 14, 1787. He resigned August 6, 1806. 

The present clergyman is the Rev. Samuel Willard of Peters- 
ham, a graduate of Harvard University, who was ordained Seo- 
tember 23, 1807. ' ^ 

POPULATION. 

^ I» April 1703-4, the population of Deerfield was 280; in I76> 
it was 737; in 1790, it contained 1330; in 1800, 1531, and in 
1810, the population was 1570, and of the towns within the ancient 
limits 6242. Deerfield now comprises 210 dwelling houses. 



DESCRIPTION 



EDUCATION. 



Deerfield Academy was incorporated March 1, 1797, and 
commenced January 1, 1799. The donations of individuals for its 
establishment exceeded S 3000. One half of a township of land in 
the District of Mains has since been granted to it by the state 
legislature. Private donations have also been made since its incor- 
poration to the amount of about S 1000 for the purchase of a 
library and philosophical apparatus. The library now contains 
between two and three hundred volumes. The apparatus is excel- 
lent. It was selected in London by the Rev. Dr. Prince of Salem, 
and cost nearly S 800. The library and apparatus render thfe 
means of improvement at this institution superior to those at most 
academies in this part of the country. 

Within a few years the building has been much enlarged for 
accommodating boarders. It is three stories high, and contains 
22 rooms, besides the school, dining, aud plulosophy rooms. 

There are eleven school districts in Deerfield, in most of which 
teachers are employed during the year, and in the others about 
three fourths of the year. From 500 to 8750 are annually appro- 
j»riated by the town to the support of schools, besides a considera- 
ble sum derived from individual subscription. 

Two social libraries are established in the village, one of which 
is an Encyclopedia company. The other library contains 
about 600 well selected volumes, comprising an unusual proper- 
; lion of books of science. 

A literary and scientific society was established August 6, 1804, 
composed of young gentlemen of the town and academy, to which 
others have also been admitted as honourary members. The 
society is now in a very flourishing situation. The frequent, and 
stated meetings ever since its institution, while they evince an 
unusual stability, have been attended with much improvement. 

In December 1813, another styled " JTie Franklin Agricultural 
Society,''^ was instituted in this town, the object of which is im- 
provement in the whole management and economy of a farm, with 
all its appurtenances. The reports of the process and result of 
experiments relative to those important subjects, which have al- 
ready been made to the society, and the spirit of inquiry awakened 
in the community by the association, during the short period of its 
institution, have produced much good, and afford the pleasing 
prospect of more extensive usefulness. The number of members 
IS now about 70, several of whom belong to the adjacent towns. 
The money raised by the admission of members is vested in valu- 
able agricultural books, both of European and American production. 



FIRST SETTLEMENT. 



In the year 1669, this territory was granted by the provincial 
government to the town of Dedham The first settlement com- 
menced in the spring of the year 1671, and a few houses were built 
upon the site of the present village, which was then a forest. 



